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Re: Through cars/commuter cars/rail cars

« Reply #584 on: Apr 28th, 2012, 3:17pm »

HFM -

EMC CAR Spotting Notes? Whatever date, this was the "Factory Demo" of the time. The EMC product noted by the fairly clean and organized design of the needed cooling fan and radiator, front and center...

Also? Reliant on St. Louis Car body work? See the first window, passenger side, with the curved top? It often appeared as "Stock, factory build EMC" of the era.

Re: Through cars/commuter cars/rail cars

« Reply #585 on: Apr 28th, 2012, 3:58pm »

HFM -

Don't you go be dissin' the BURLINGTON! <G>

Once again: No further caption? There is a story to the "streamlined coach" seen. It looks to be one of the rare "Pendulum Cars" group. Used a suspension system later used on TALGO trains, so for better performance going into curves. On top of that, these heavily relied on heavy ("Marine") plywood fab of the bodies.

The "Pendulum Cars" are a curious footnote in US Car Building History, of course...

NORM -

As I check messages, "oldest to newest" order, later saw you were excited, too, about the "Pendulum Car" in the scene. One rare bird...

.............................Vern............................

Vern, and HFM,

Sorry for the accidental "red herring"-- I have since done a bit more checking, and discovered that the pendular Chair Car in the photo wasn't Santa Fe's after all.

Pacific Railway Manufacturing Co. apparently built three of these prototypes-- Santa Fe got one (painted up in two-tone blue with silver or chrome accents, a la the "Blue Goose" streamlined Hudson); Great Northern got one (painted up in their famous green-and-orange "Empire Builder" scheme); and the Burlington got one (which retained its unpainted exterior, but received a name-- (I shoulda guessed . . . Silver Pendulum). AT&SF's car spent most of its time in San Diegan service; GN's car was kept mainly in Portland-Seattle "pool" service; and CB&Q's entry was most often seen within a few hours of Kansas City.

An interesting, if tangential note-- the three cars were identical in dimensions, but while GN's car seated 68 (17 rows of 2-and-2 seating), and CB&Q's car seated 60 (15 rows), Santa Fe's offered the most legroom at 56 seats (13 rows).

Re: Through cars/commuter cars/rail cars

« Reply #599 on: Apr 28th, 2012, 5:44pm »

HFM -

Here we go, again! Some time back, we established BUDD did not approve of RDC Cars pulling any trailers. IMHO, it had concerns the loads exceeded design weights of parts of the drive train mechanisms.

ROCK ISLAND "had a pass" with it. The line where used between Memphis and Amarillo. Check the "Topo" Maps: I can't imagine it fought sustained, long grades on any of it. What BUDD saying? If a line needed added capacity, add another BUDD RDC...

Motor Cars (Gas-Electric) a different story. Most of the Cars designed to haul along lightweight trailers...

.........................Vern.....................

Vern:

I think the trailer was only hauled between Memphis and Little Rock. I think in part this was to be sure the signals recognized the train was there. The line had ABS from Memphis to some point about 40 miles west of Littlle Rock with the rest of the line dark, except Oklahoma City to El Reno. Memphis to Little Rock was almost dead flat - and straight - except Crowley's Ridge and the west approach to the Mississippi River Bridge at Memphis. The total vertical rise was around 100 feet in both cases. I think the grade approaching the bridge was a little over 1% and Crowley's ridge something under 1% both up and down. I have a copy of the profile, but I don't have it handy. I will hunt up the grades sometime.

Forgot to add, west of Little Rock the terrain was very different. It had quite a bit of up and down. None really that steep, but quite different in character.

Unfortunately, the Rock Island is now out of service or abandoned west of Brinkley, which was the end of Cotton Belt's trackage rights, and their bridge over the Arkansas River permanently raised and converted to a pedestrian path.